Methods for searching phone book, and portable devices and information processing apparatuses having phone-book search function

Abstract

Method of searching a phone book in an information processing apparatus, such as a portable device, may provide intelligent search of information associated with user-selected information. The method includes selecting a desired item of a plurality of item included in a phone book list, searching at least one item associated with the selected item on a database according to a predetermined priority, and displaying both the selected item and the searched associated at least one item. Thus, the information associated with the user-selected information can be intelligently searched, such that a search result optimized for a user may be displayed and unnecessary repetitive search may be reduced.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of searching a phone book in a portable device, the method comprising:
 selecting, by a key input unit included in a portable device, a desired item of a plurality of items included in a phone book list; 
 searching, by a controller included in the portable device, for at least one item associated with the selected item in a database according to a priority; 
 displaying, by a display unit, both the selected item and the searched associated at least one item; and 
 processing an occurring event to update the database based on the occurring event: 
 wherein the occurring event is at least one event of a voice communication event, an image communication event, a message transmission event and a message reception event that occurs after the selected desired item and the searched associated at least one item are simultaneously displayed, and 
 the displaying both the selected item and the searched associated at least one item includes displaying the selected item at a first portion of a display area of the display unit and the searched associated at least one item around the selected item. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired item includes at least one of a name, a company name, a phone number, a facsimile number, an abbreviated number, a group name, an e-mail address, a birthday, a memorial day, a memo, a photograph, an avatar, a receiving bell, and a message ring. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the priority includes item information used to search for the at least one item associated with the selected item and search priority information for items associated with the same item information. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the displaying of both the selected item and the searched associated at least one item includes displaying, as representative information, at least one of a plurality of information included in each of the selected item and the searched associated at least one item. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting the selected item as another item after the selected item and the searched associated at least one item are simultaneously displayed; and, 
 re-searching items associated with the selected another item. 
 
     
     
       6. An information processing apparatus having a phone-book search function, the apparatus comprising:
 a controller configured to control, and upon selection of a desired item of a plurality of items included in a phone book list, configured to search for at least one item associated with the selected item in a database according to a priority, and configured to display both the selected item and the searched associated at least one item; 
 a storage unit configured to store the database; and 
 a display unit configured to display a user interface under control of the controller, 
 wherein the controller is configured to display the selected item at a first portion of a display area of the display unit and to display the searched associated at least one item around the selected item. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the priority includes item information used to search for the at least one item associated with the selected item and search priority information for items associated with the same item information. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to display, as representative information, at least one of a plurality of information included in each of the selected item and the searched associated at least one item. 
     
     
       9. A method of searching a phone book in an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 selecting, by a key input unit included in a portable device, a desired item of a plurality of items included in a phone book list; 
 searching, by a controller included in the portable device, for at least one item associated with the selected item in a database according to a priority; 
 displaying, by a display unit, both the selected item and the searched associated at least one item; and 
 processing an occurring event to update the database based on the occurring event: 
 wherein the occurring event is at least one event of a voice communication event, an image communication event, a message transmission event and a message reception event that occurs after the selected item and the searched associated at least one item are simultaneously displayed, and 
 the displaying both the selected item and the search associated at least one item includes displaying the selected item at a first portion of a display area of the display unit and the searched associated at least one item around the selected item. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the desired item includes at least one of a name, a company name, a phone number, a facsimile number, an abbreviated number, a group name, an e-mail address, a birthday, a memorial day, a memo, a photograph, an avatar, a receiving bell, and a message ring. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the priority includes item information used to search for the at least one item associated with the selected item and search priority information for items associated with the same item information. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 selecting the selected item as another item after the selected item and the searched associated at least one item are simultaneously displayed; and 
 re-searching items associated with the selected another item. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting any item of the displayed search associated at least one item; 
 searching the database for at least one second item associated with the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item; and 
 displaying, by the display unit, the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item at the first portion of the display area and the at least one second search associated item around the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to, upon selection of any item of the displayed search associated at least one item, search the database for at least one second item associated with the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item, and to instruct the display unit to display the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item at the first portion of the display area and to display the at least one second search associated item around the first portion of the display area. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 selecting any item of the displayed search associated at least one item; 
 searching the database for at least one second item associated with the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item; and 
 displaying, by the display unit, the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item at the first portion of the display area and the at least one second search associated item around the selected item of the displayed search associated at least one item. 
 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 updating the database based on the occurring event, 
 wherein the processing an occurring event to update the database based on the occurring event includes processing the occurring event, by the controller, to update the database based on the occurring event. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected item includes a plurality of related data items,
 the searched associated at least one item includes at least one plurality of related data items, 
 the displaying of the selected item includes displaying at least two of the plurality of related data items included in the selected item, and 
 the displaying of the searched associated at least one item includes displaying at least two of the at least one plurality of related data items included in the searched associated at least one item. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the searched associated at least one item is at least four items,
 the at least one plurality of related data items included in the searched associated at least four items is at least four pluralities of related data items; 
 each of the searched associated at least four items includes one of the at least four pluralities of related data items, 
 the displaying both the selected item and the searched associated at least one item includes displaying at least two of the plurality of related data items included in each of the searched associated at least four items, and 
 the searched associated at least four items are displayed symmetrically around the selected item. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the display area of the display unit is a center portion of the display unit.